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Key Issues in the Development of State-Specific Baseline Surveys

Given the limitations of estimating State uninsured baseline populations from national surveys, States may want to consider conducting a State-specific survey to collect more accurate estimates of their uninsured population. A primary advantage of State-specific surveys is that they may be more reliable than the Current Population Survey (CPS), however, there are several concerns regarding State-specific surveys:

To measure the impact of SCHIP on the uninsured, a baseline survey must be conducted before implementation of SCHIP, and subsequent surveys conducted after implementation.

Good State-specific surveys can be costly. The approximate cost range is $100,000 - $200,000 per State, depending on sample size, method of data collection, desired response rate, and length of interview. The largest expense is in the administration of the survey (versus compiling and analyzing the data). Conducting surveys on smaller geographic levels (e.g., county-level) is more costly.

While State-specific surveys may be more reliable than the Current Population Survey (CPS), they will not be consistent from State to State unless they are part of a national survey project.

Elements of a Good State Survey

Sample size of 2,000 to 3,000 households.

Combination of phone and in-person interviews.

Response rate of 70 percent or higher.

Reasonably focused questions regarding insurance status.

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Who presented this material?

James Verdier

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